HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Michael March-Letteri
Submitted into the public
record fo ite (s) 9 2. , 1
on 2 I City Clerk
July 2019
Dear City Officials and neighbors,
My name is Mike March, and I have lived on Charles Avenue in Coconut Grove since 2004. 1
would like to address some of my concerns with the pending revisions to our neighborhood
conservation districts' (NCDs') legislation. As a resident of the West Grove, I am affected by the
NCD-3 (which covers all of Coconut Grove), the NCD-2 (which covers only the historically black
West Grove), and also by special regulations for my street of Charles Avenue (since it has been
designated a historic corridor).
Among other things, this legislation stands to potentially limit the amount of buildable space we
will have on single family lots (known within the city of Miami as zoning transect T3-R) to a
maximum of a 50% FLR (floor to lot ratio). I believe that like myself, many property owners are
not aware of new legislation affecting their own properties unless they receive a direct mailing
from the city.
I encourage everyone affected to get the facts for themselves. The legislation I speak of below,
known as Ordinance 3001, or the NCD Amendments, may be found by going to the city of
Miami's web page at miamigov.com. Bear in mind that the city website has been "under
construction" for quite some time, and the "archived" version (at archive.miamigov.com) is still
best. From there, the legislation can be found as links within a commission agenda. The last
draft of the NCD Amendments can be found in the agenda for 2/28/19, under item 10 of the
Planning and Zoning section (XII).
In February, this item was "indefinitely" deferred for six months, to be considered again for its
first of two readings (votes by the city commission) on 9/26/19. For this meeting, the legislation
will likely be posted in the new commission agenda, which is typically posted online about a
week in advance. Many people would consider the extensive amendments being made to be a
"rewrite", yet the word "rewrite" is not being used, because this would require a voter
referendum, which some authors of this legislation would not like to see.
To repeat myself, the West Grove is currently governed by the NCD-2 AND the NCD-3, but
other parts of Coconut Grove are governed by the NCD-3 only. The first amendment I mention
below tries to clarify this overlay arrangement. At the core of my following objections is this:
"Should a historically black neighborhood be subject to special zoning regulations, which will not
be applied to the historically white neighborhoods only blocks away?"
(NCD-2 Amendments: 2.2 APPLICABILITY)
1. The NCD-2 should not become an overlay (of extra restrictions) to the NCD-3. Since the
NCD-2 was created first, it should have either been expanded to include all of Coconut
Grove, or else it should have been nullified when the NCD-3 was created.
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Submitted into the pub
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2. UDRB (Urban Development Review Board) approval should not be required on all new
construction in the entire NCD-2. It is already required on the historically -designated
corridor of Charles Avenue, and it should not be expanded to include all of the West
Grove. This burden (to comply with "Caribbean" neighborhood guidelines) is being
placed upon homeowners of the NCD-2, but not upon all homeowners in the NCD-3.
3. Uses for historically -designated properties (or those properties adjacent to them) should
not be expanded to allow for bed and breakfasts, and general commercial use. This
change should not be implemented in the NCD-2 only, when it is not being implemented
throughout the entire NCD-3.
(NCD-3 Amendments: 3.14 PUBLIC BENEFITS PROGRAM)
4. Developers who make contributions of civic space or cross -block connectivity get FLR
(floor -to -lot ratio) bonuses, but not throughout all of the NCD-3. This bonus is excluded
on Bird Ave. east of Bridgeport Ave. (near the Home Depot) and on 27th Ave. south of
Coconut Ave. (near Berries) to Tigertail Ave., which effectively prevents this bonus from
being applied in much of the North and Center Grove. Under the NCD Amendments,
FLR and density rights are being taken away from the owners of single family homes,
yet developers are being given bonuses with the public benefits program. Any bonuses
offered via the NCDs should apply to ALL of Coconut Grove, rather than just to certain
neighborhoods.
Since most new legislation requires two readings or votes by the City Commission, the authors
of the legislation are eager for the first reading to pass. It has been suggested that further
alteration of the legislation can be made between the first and second readings, but during this
time people can also become distracted and forget about the issue. It is better that the wishes of
the property owners are heard (and ideally acted upon) before this measure passes its first
reading.
"The way our society figures out how to help people who are marginalized... is by deciding
what's best for them, rather than letting them decide for themselves."
-Hempel, Jessi. "For Nextdoor, Eliminating Racism Is No Quick Fix". Wired, 16 Feb. 2017.
Thank you,
Mike March
3543 Plaza St.
Miami, FL 33133
(305) 785-2174
michaelgmarch@hotmail.com